The present invention relates to computer driven printers and, more particularly, to an improved print media cutter. For ease of reference, instead of the term "print media", the term paper will be frequently used herein and is intended to encompass all forms of print media including paper, transparencies, vellum, etc.
The media cutter assembly of the present invention is primarily designed for large scale printers/plotters which receive print media from a roll supply. After printing of a sheet of media from the roll, a clean transverse cut needs to be made without wrinkling of the media and with a minimum of paper positioning or repositioning to cut the printed sheet and, if necessary, the leading edge of the roll may be further trimmed. A variety of prior art cutting mechanisms have been used including stationary full length linear blades in conjunction with moveable rotary cutting blades mounted on a cutter carriage which in turn moves on cutter carriage support rods or guide tracks separate from the printhead carriage and its support rods or tracks. Both manual and automatic systems have been used including the type disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,296,872 issued Mar. 22, 1994 to Caamano and owned by the assignee of the present invention. In this patent a separate cutter carriage is connected, when desired, to the print head carriage for movement therewith and is disconnected from the print head carriage after the cutting operation.
It is the primary object of the present invention to provide a reliable media cutter assembly which is rigidly connected at all times to the print head carriage so that separate print head and cutter carriages and associated guide structure for each are unnecessary.